Press for fertilizing material.



No. 643,00. Patented Feb. 6, I900. w. E. OVERTON.

PRESS FOR FEBTILIZING MATERIAL.

(Application filed May 23, 1899.}

(No Model.)

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Urvrrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIS E. OVERTON, OF RIPRAPS, VIRGINIA.

PRESS FOR FERTILIZING MATERIAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 643,001, dated February6, 1900.

Application filed May 23, 1899. Serial No. 717,938. (No model.)

To ail whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIS E. OVERTON, a citizen of the United 'States,and a resident of Ripraps, in the county of Elizabeth City and State ofVirginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Presses;and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, and to numerals of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a representa tion of a central verticallongitudinal section of the invention. Fig. 2is a section on the line 00r, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the opening of the outer shell.Fig. 4 is a detail view illustrating a modified form of feedingmechanism. Fig. 5 is a detail view illustrating the application of suchmodified feeding mechanism to the screw-flange of the inner drum of thepress.

This invention has relation to presses more particularly designed foruse in pressing cooked fish for the purpose of removing oil and watertherefrom, but which is also applicable for pressing other material ofvarious kinds.

The object of the invention is to provide a press of simple and durablecharacter by which the desired operation can be carried out in a rapid,thorough, and effective manner; also, to provide means of improvedcharacter for feeding the press; also, to provide improved means forpreventing the press or its feeder from becoming choked or clogged bythe material passing through it.

With these objects in view the invention consists in the novelconstruction and combination of parts,all as hereinafter described, andpointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the numeral 1 designates theouter stationary cylindrical shell of the press, which is suitablysupported in horizontal or nearly horizontal position. In the form shownin Fig. 1 this shell has at its rear end portion, at its upper side, afeed-hopper 2, in which is journaled a feeding-screw 3. The shell isconstructed of slats suitably secured to an ex-,

ternal supporting-frame or from perforated materiah'the particularconstruction being immaterial so long as it is provided with numerousopenings throughout its length, and particularly at its lower side, forthe escape of water and oil. At its discharging end the shell has aconical extension 4, from which the more solid material is discharged.

5 designates a shaft which extends centrally through the said shall,being suitably supported and journaled at its end portions, as at 6.This shaft is designed to be driven by any suitable source of power, asindicated at 7. Secured to this shaft is an inner shell or drum 8, whichis of gradually-increasing diameter from the receiving end of the pressto a point 9 near its discharging end,whereby an annular space orchamber of gradually diminishing thickness is formed between the twoshells. This'inner shell is also of slatted or perforated constructionand is provided with a spiral flange or screw 10, which is also ofdiminishing character, its diameter at all points being such that itturns closely within the outer shell. From the point 9 to the point 11(a distance which maybe two feet or more in length) the inner shell isof uniform diameter, and from the point 11, which coincides with the endof the cylinder portion of the outer shell, is a conical extension 12,which lies within the conical discharging portion 4, but is of greaterpitch in order that sufficient clearance may be provided to permit afree discharge of the more solid material. The flange or screw 10 stopsat the point 9.

Between the points 9 and 11 the outer shell is provided at its underside with an opening 13, preferably diamond or lozenge shaped, and theinner drum or shell has a similar opening 14. The opening 13 issurrounded by a fence 15, which closes the space between the two shellsat this point.

The operation is as follows: The material fed into the press isdelivered onto the screw of the inner drum or shell and is therebycarried toward the discharging end. By reason of the increasing diameterof the inner drum or shell the material is formed into a layer ofgradually-decreasing thickness, being thinnest at the point 9 where thepressure is greatest, whereby all water and oil contained in thematerial is expressed and passes out either into the inner drum orthrough the perforated or slotted wall of the outerdrum. Both drumsbeing perforated or slotted, there is afforded a ready means of escapefor the water and oil as fast as it is expressed. The water and oilwhich collects to a greater or less extent in the inner drum has a freeescape through the openings 13 and 14 and may be collected, togetherwith that escaping along the length of the drum, in a suitable trough ortank. The oil and water are subsequently separated by the usual methods.The more solid material is forced through the space between the points 9and 11 and around the fence 15, the resistance offered to its passage atthis point being such as to require a high degree of pressure throughoutthe press to overcome it. In this manner I am enabled to dispense withthe use of the pressureplates commonly employed.

In Fig.4Ihave illustrated a modified form of feeding mechanism which ispreferable to that above described for many purposes and especially inlarge presses. In this form the outer shell 1 is formed with therearward cylinder extension 17 of non-slotted or non-perforatedcharacter, and within the same on the shaft 5 is a feed-cylinderlS,having the screw-flange 19, which turns in close relation to the innerwall of the extension 17. Said extension is slotted longitudinally,preferably at the top, and arranged to work in said slot are acontinuous series of loose clearing-disks 2O,'whicl1 are mounted in arace box or casing 21 around a central fixed bearing 22. The lowerportions of these disks extend down into the screwfiange 19, as shown,and by the revolution of said screw-flange the series is kept in motionaround the bearing 22. In the arrangement shown two of the disks areshown in engagement with said flange; but the number is not material.These disks exert a continuous scraping and clearing action upon saidflange to remove the material which adheres thereto and which withoutsome device of this kind seriously chokes and obstructs the feed. Asimilar arrangement of disks 25 may be applied to the screw-flange 10 ofthe inner drum 8 in connection with the feed shown in Fig. 1. (See Fig.5.)

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new,and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a press, the combination with an outer cylindrical non-rotaryshell, provided with a conical discharging extension, of an inner rotaryscrew-flanged drum or shell having perforated or slotted walls, and ofincreasing diameter from the receiving end of the press to a point nearits discharging end, said inner drum or shell also having a conicalextension of less pitch than the conical extension of the outer shell,and a straight portion intermediate the conical extension, and thescrewflanged po'rtion, substantially as specified.

2. In a press,the combination with an outer non-rotary cylinder drum orshell, of an inner rotary drum or shell of increasing diameter from thereceiving end of the press to apoint near its discharge end, and havinga screwfiange surrounding such portion thereof,and a straight portionbeyond the end of said flange, substantially as specified.

3. In a press, the combination with an outer non-rotary cylinder drum orshell, of an inner rotary drum or shell of increasing diameter from thereceiving end of the press to a point near its discharge end, and havinga screwfiange surrounding such portion thereof, and a straight portionbeyond the end of said flange, said straight portion having an openingtherein, and the outer shell having a corresponding opening, and a fencesurrounding said opening, substantially as specified.

4. In a press,the combination with the outer fixed cylindrical shell,and the inner rotary shell, having a surrounding screwflange, of acontinuous series of edgewise -disposed cleaner or clearing-disks loosewith relation to each other adapted to engage the said flange, togetherwith a runway and bearings for said disks, substantially as specified.

5. A-feeding attachment, consisting of a fixed outer shell having alongitudinal slot, an inner rotating drum or cylinder having ascrew-flange, and a continuous series of edgewise-disposed rollingclearing-disks adapted to extend through said slot into engagement withsaid flange, together with a runway for said disks, substantially asspecified.

6. In a press, the combination of the outer fixed cylindrical shellhaving an extension at its receiving end, the shaft extending centrallythrough said cylinder and extension, the press-drum on said shaft ofgradually-increasing diameter toward the discharge end of the press, andhaving a screw-flange, the feed drum or cylinder on said shaft withinsaid extension,and also havinga screw-flange, and a continuous series ofedgewise-disposed no rolling clearing or cleaning disks arranged toengage the flange of said feed-drum, together with a raceway for saiddisks, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIS E. OVERTON.

Witnesses:

HIRAM I 1. LUTHER, J. L. REEVE.

